VWR Announces Leadership Changes, As CEO John Ballbach Departs

30-07-2012: VWR International, LLC announced that John Ballbach, Chairman, President, and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) and its Board agreed on his departure from VWR. Mr. Ballbach's responsibilities will be retained by several of VWR's most senior leaders, effective immediately.

Manuel Brocke-Benz, Senior Vice President (SVP) and Managing Director of Europe, assumes the position as interim CEO, in additional to maintaining his current responsibilities. With 25 years at VWR, Mr. Brocke-Benz currently leads all sales, marketing, services and operations for the European laboratory business, which has realized double-digit growth during the past three years under his leadership.

VWR also named Mark McLoughlin, SVP of Emerging Businesses, to the role of SVP and President of U.S, where he will leverage more than 30 years of commercial and strategic management experience, as well as four years on VWR's North American leadership team. Ted Pulkownik, SVP of Strategy and Corporate Development has assumed Mr. McLoughlin's current responsibilities of Emerging Businesses in addition to his current role.

Additionally, a key member of the Board of Directors, Harry J. Kraemer, has been named Chairman of the VWR Board. Mr. Kraemer has served on VWR's Board for more than five years, and is an Executive Partner of VWR's majority equity owner, Madison Dearborn Partners. As the former Chairman and CEO of global healthcare corporation, Baxter International, Mr. Kraemer brings a wealth of industry knowledge and deep understanding of the broader marketplace.

VWR's Board of Directors has initiated the search for a new, permanent CEO, considering both internal and external candidates. No further management changes are planned at this time.